Before the Fall; Legends of Winter

Rare archival footage from pre- revolutionary Russia of real psovaya borzois catching a wolf, with assist from scenthounds, while greyhounds (galgos? ) look on. No fear if you are squeamish about blood– as often happens today,  at the end, the hunter is going in with a forked stick to pin the wolf and catch it …

Read more

On translating Russian

In my Sportsman’s Library, usually called “The Book of books” around here, I wrote about Mikhail Prishvin’s Nature’s Diary, and the problem of translation: “There is also an interesting book by Prishvin, published by Pantheon 1952, called The Lake and the Woods, a handsome volume illustrated by woodcuts. A close read reveals it is the …

Read more

VN

Arthur Wilderson, who knows more about guns that almost anyone, reminded me that Vladimir Nabokov died 36 years ago this week. After I praised his English, more fluid and colloquial than his only rival as a non- native English- speaking  novelist in the language (VN would have said American I think), Arthur agreed: “I was …

Read more

Gun Quiz Solution

It was (obviously?) an 1895 Winchester, most famed as Teddy Roosevelt’s lion gun in Africa, using its odd heavy load, the .405 Winchester. It was a relatively strong action, and because it had a box magazine* rather than the typical tubular ones on most leverguns, it could shoot modern spitzer type loads like the .30- …

Read more

Russian Quote

From the NYT, courtesy of Reid: “… gun control in Russia is less strict than in some other former Soviet countries. Estonia, for example, proscribes carrying a weapon while drunk. “If they did that here, well, nobody would hunt,” said Igor V. Anisimov, the Izhmash director of foreign sales.”

SIlk Road redux

From Dmitry Kosyrev, author of the Silk Road Trilogy, via Kickstarter: “My dear friends, Americans, a few Russians from Russia, all 111 of you, plus many more who will read my novels after their successful funding: “What you did in suport of my books, letting them be published in USA, means that somebody needs the …

Read more

Only six days left…

..to fund the Russian life- Kickstarter Silk Road trilogy translation project, with $4300 to go, or all is in vain. I think Q readers may make up a majority now! Consider digging in a second or even a third time– we are!

Just a little time left

To contribute to the Russian Life Silk Road Trilogy translation project. My earlier take here. Apparently just 100 ten- dollar book orders would put them over the top. It would be a shame if lack of publicity made this wonderful project fail.Tell your friends. Go viral!

Silk Road Trilogy Project

An innovative approach to publishing and natural for Q fans, on so many levels: The Silk Road Trilogy translation project on Kickstarter! Central Asia, the Silk Road, falcons and horses, China, literature, cyber- publishing; what’s not to love? Please consider pledging a bit to make this happen- time is short! Russian Life’s blog will report …

Read more